Finally, Netflix Lets You Watch Movies Offline

If you’re a Netflix subscriber — which you probably are, since there are roughly 86 million of you — you can now watch most of your favorite movies and shows offline. All you need to do is download the latest update to the Netflix app, available today on Android and iOS. In the app, a download button appears next to the shows and movies that allow the new offline feature. You can download videos in either “standard” or “higher” quality; Netflix doesn’t specify the exact difference between the two, but the higher-res videos take more time to download and require more storage on your phone.

Like Amazon Prime Video, which has had this offline feature for a while, there is a limited selection of programming from which to download content. Still, commuters, people on airplane mode and those who aren’t always connected to wi-fi will see the new feature as something of a godsend. Netflix has always allowed subscribers to stream via cellular data, but performance is spotty when the LTE connection is unreliable, like if you go under a tunnel or travel through rural America, and it’s a killer for people with data caps. Those without data caps will be pleased to learn that you can download content on wi-fi or LTE, unlike with Amazon Prime Video. And for all 86 million Netflix subscribers, offline viewing won’t cost anything extra.